Lithuanian Defense Minister Laurinas Kaschunas insisted on Wednesday that NATO aircraft based in the Baltic states must shoot down Russian drones that enter their airspace after a Russian drone crashed in Latvia last week, reports AFP.
NATO planes "must not only patrol, but also, if necessary, if possible, destroy drones,", Kasciunas told reporters in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius.
He added that the decision-making process must be shortened to make this possible.
We recall that his comments followed the case of the Russian drone that crashed in Latvia on Saturday. The Latvian Armed Forces said it was an Iranian-designed Shahed drone equipped with explosives.
On Tuesday, Latvian President Edgars Rinkevičs said his country was discussing the Russian drone issue with its allies.
"We are raising the issue with our NATO partners about drone interception protocols, calling for allied air fighters to be deployed immediately after such a drone is seen approaching our borders," Rinkevichs said.
Baltic officials also called on NATO to step up plans to deploy ground-based air defenses along the bloc's eastern border.
Warplanes from other NATO members have patrolled the skies over the Baltic states since they joined the military alliance in 2004 because the three former Soviet republics lack the necessary aircraft.
NATO countries lack sufficient ground-based air defense systems, but last year agreed to a short-term deployment to dissuade Russia.
In April, the Netherlands deployed Patriot missile systems for exercises in Lithuania, but the Baltic countries want air defense systems to be permanently deployed in the region.
At the beginning of September, Polish Foreign Minister Radoslaw Szykorski said that Warsaw should have the right to shoot down Russian missiles threatening its territory in Ukrainian airspace.